Tributes to her long and successful career in comedy are being made on Twitter.

Julia Sawalha, who played her strait-laced granddaughter in Absolutely Fabulous, said Whitfield had been a "great source of inspiration" to her as a young actress but was "far too humble to accept my adoration".

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live he described working with Whitfield: "You would hand her a script, she would work out where the laughs were and then would very quietly wipe the floor with everybody else."

Comedian Miranda Hart recalls a touching encounter with Whitfield who responded to an appeal for sponsorship for Edinburgh Festival early on in her career.

And broadcaster Danny Baker said Whitfield was "formidable, dependable, inimitable. A rock. A gem."

Image copyrightDavid M. Benett/Getty ImagesImage caption
Whitfield with her co-stars at the premiere of Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie in 2016

Image copyrightTim Graham/Getty ImagesImage caption
Whitfield, in the company of Sir Terry Wogan and Richard Briers, greets the Queen at BBC Broadcasting House in 2006

Shane Allen, controller of BBC Comedy, described Whitfield as "the North Star of British comedy".

"Her spectacular career is unparalleled in its longevity, with seven decades of being a key element in numerous high profile and successful shows. She was the go-to female comedy performer of her generation and was always in demand from the cream of British comedy."

Among those clamouring to work with her were Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd, Ronnie Barker, Benny Hill, Bob Monkhouse and Tommy Cooper.